1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio device integration system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an audio device integration system for integrating after-market components such as satellite receivers, CD players, CD changers, MP3 players, Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) receivers, auxiliary audio sources, and the like with factory-installed (OEM) or after-market car stereo systems.
2. Related Art
Automobile audio systems have continued to advance in complexity and the number of options available to automobile purchasers. Early audio systems offered a simple AM and/or FM tuner, and perhaps an analog tape deck for allowing cassettes, 8-tracks, and other types of tapes to be played while driving. Such early systems were closed, in that external devices could not be easily integrated therewith.
With advances in digital technology, CD players have been included with automobile audio systems. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) often produce car stereos having CD players and/or changers for allowing CDs to be played while driving. However, such systems often include proprietary buses and protocols that do not allow after-market audio systems, such as satellite receivers (e.g., XM satellite tuners), digital audio broadcast (DAB) receivers, MP3 players, CD changers, auxiliary input sources, and the like, to be easily integrated therewith. Thus, automobile purchasers are frequently forced to either entirely replace the OEM audio system, or use same throughout the life of the vehicle or the duration of ownership. Even if the OEM radio is replaced with an after-market radio, the after-market radio also frequently is not operable with an external device.
A particular problem with integrating after-market audio systems with existing car stereos is that signals generated by the car stereo is in a proprietary format, and is not capable of being processed by the after-market system. Additionally, signals generated by the after-market system are also in a proprietary format that is not recognizable by the car stereo. Thus, in order to integrate after-market systems with car stereos, it is necessary to convert signals between such systems.
It known in the art to provide one or more expansion modules for OEM and after-market car stereos for allowing external audio products to be integrated with the car stereo. However, such expansion modules only operate with and allow integration of external audio products manufactured by the same manufacturer as the OEM/after-market car stereo. For example, a satellite receiver manufactured by PIONEER, Inc., cannot be integrated with an OEM car radio manufactured by TOYOTA or an after-market car radio manufactured by CLARION, Inc. Thus, existing expansion modules only serve the limited purpose of integrating equipment by the same manufacturer as the car stereo. Thus, it would be desirable to provide an integration system that allows any audio device of any manufacture to be integrated with any OEM or after-market radio system.
Moreover, it would be desirable to provide an integration system that not only achieves integration of various audio devices that are alien to a given OEM or after-market stereo system, but also allows for information to be exchanged between the after-market device and the car stereo. For example, it would be desirable to provide a system wherein station, track, time, and song information can be retrieved from the after-market device, formatted, and transmitted to the car stereo for display thereby, such as at an LCD panel of the car stereo. Such information could be transmitted and displayed on both hardwired radio systems (e.g., radios installed in dashboards or at other locations within the car), or integrated for display on one or more software or graphically-driven radio systems operable with graphical display panels. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide an audio integration system that allows a user to control more than one device, such as a CD or satellite receiver and one or more auxiliary sources, and to quickly and conveniently switch between same using the existing controls of the car stereo.
Accordingly, the present invention addresses these needs by providing an audio integration system that allows a plurality of audio devices, such as CD players, CD changers, MP3 players, satellite receivers, DAB receivers, auxiliary input sources, or a combination thereof, to be integrated into existing car stereos while allowing information to be displayed on, and control to be provided from, the car stereo.